Monday Motivation – July 24th

Summer is rolling along and lots of you are on holiday and having fun with different routines (or no routines!!)…

While it’s super important to hit the reset button from time to time a holiday is also a great opportunity to try out some great new habits.

Is there anything you’ve been thinking of changing/trying that you haven’t got around to yet? The time is now!

1. Food. There aren’t many more topics that stir up as much emotion and opinion as what we put in our mouths. So much of our culture is intricately intertwined with what we eat, which can make it really challenging to change how we think about food.

So, with that in mind, I offer the following to ponder:

Eat real food.

Mainly plants.

Not too much.

2. Have you read the books you wanted to this year?

I finished Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow a little while ago and am happy to report that this sequel to Sapiens is superb. Harari follows on from his previous musings and insights beautifully. This isn’t a book of predictions, rather it’s a thoughtful pondering of some likely outcomes if humankind chooses to learn from the past or repeat old habits that have already served their purpose. It’s an easier read than I’ve just made it out to be!

3. Parkour

Did you know the UK is leading the way in the world of Parkour as it officially recognises Parkour as a sport Here’s a great piece about how Parkour is bringing together communities in the UK. Watchthis (7:24) to see some of the best in action.

4. Routines vs Life Hacks

These days it’s common to think (or even expect) that there’s a hack for everything, some new shortcut to save you the time and effort to achieve something. Well, it’s been my observation that great routines and habits are much more likely to lead to things of lasting value. Here (6 min read) is a wonderful article from one of the authors of Peak Performance talking about just this (*language warning*)

Last week Kilian Jornet ran and WON one of the toughest 100 mile ultramarathons (yep, 100 MILES) for the 4th year in row. This alone is truly astounding, but what made this year’s win even more amazing is that he dislocated his shoulder early in the race and continued on.

HARD WORK + PERSISTENCE = GREATNESS

Have a great week

Luke X

PS – Check out this from the New York Times for tips on how to pack your suitcase